[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

CHIN STATEMENT TO UN SUBCOMMISSION



Statement by Cung Bik Ling, Chin Human Rights Organization, 
to the UN Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities at its
Fiftieth Session

5 August 1998

Item no. 2

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

My name is Cung Bik Ling. I belong to the Chin indigenous group in Burma.

On 31 July the representative of the Government of Myanmar, in a remarkable
statement that made Burma sound like one big, happy family, told the
Working Group on Indigenous populations that [in Myanmar] (and I quote)
"there has been success in overcoming past differences and
misunderstandings among the national races and in bringing about trust and
mutual understanding" and that the "national races residing in the border
areas are now experiencing peace and development".  Unfortunately the truth
is rather different.

Burma is a multi-national country with major ethnic nationalities which
have their own lands, languages, cultures, literatures and traditions that
distinguish them from one another. However, instead of recognizing the
diversity of ethnic groups and the political sensitivity of various ethnic
problems, successive military governments have tried to impose national
"unity" by military means.

Prior to the pro-democracy uprising in 1988, there was only one army
battalion based in Chin State. At present there are more than ten
battalions spread throughout the state.  As a result,  human rights abuses
against the civilian population have increased. Along with its expanded
military facilities, the junta has imposed a programme of border area
development that includes infrastucture projects throughout Chinland. The
construction of roads and other infrastructure projects have been carried
out by forced labour under military supervision. The work is done almost
exclusively by the villagers, who are forced to work at gun-point without
pay and are often abused by the soldiers.

This militarisation of Chinland has created unbearable burdens for the
people of the region. 
Families and communities are increasingly separated as the villagers are
taken for forced labour on infrastructure projects and in army camps, and
forcibly conscripted as soldiers and porters. Despite claims by the ruling
military regime that the large infrastructure projects, including roads and
dams, will profit the people of the region, the pervasive use of forced
labour during their construction has resulted in more hardship than benefit
for the people.



The unique cultural identities of Chin people are under growing threat
because of the military regime's practice of religious persecution and
burmanization. Stories of arbitrary arrest, torture, summary execution,
abuses of women, forced labour including porterage for the military, forced
relocations, confiscation of lands, looting of properties and burning of
villages in non-Burman area have been documented in the reports of the
Special Rapporteur on Myanmar to the General Assembly and the UN Commission
on Human Rights, as well as in other reports by credible international
human rights organizations. Seven consecutive resolutions adopted by
consensus at the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights
condemn the human rights violations  resulting from discrimination against
ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and urge the regime to protect
the rights of minorities. So far the regime has failed to follow these
recommendations, and has not even allowed the current Special Rapporteur on
Myanmar to visit the country. 

In fact, ethnic diversity is not a threat to national unity or development
of Burma. The historic Panglong Agreement made by Gen. Aung San and non-
Burman leaders on Feb 12, 1947, on the eve of independence,  proved that
national unity could be achieved by  means of negotiation based on equality
and mutual respect.

Based on concept on "Unity in Diversity", our forefathers laid down
guidelines to be enshrined in a constitution which would provide legal
guarantees for equality, justice and self-determination of all ethnic
nationalities. Unfortunately, successive Burma-dominated governments have
deviated from the spirit of the Panglong Agreement.  Burman chauvinism has
been practised, and military force has been used to eliminate the struggle
of non-Burman ethnic nationalities for their rights.

After fifty years of civil war in Burma, the possibility for national
reconciliation has returned again. Since 1988, the democratic forces and
non-Burman ethnic forces inside the country as well as in the liberated
areas have been working together for national reconciliation.  Their
consultation for a just constitution emerged as a unified vision for
peaceful co-existence in the Mae Tha Raw Hta agreement, the ethnic seminar
attended by both cease-fire and non-cease-fire groups in 1997.  The
agreement reaffirmed the willingness of the non-Burman ethnic nationals to
seek national  reconciliation through tripartite dialogue and a strong
determination to participate in a national re-building process within the
framework of 
federalism and a multi-party parliamentary democratic system.  The strong
support for the Mae Tha Raw Hta agreement expressed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
on Union day, Feb 12, 1997, strengthens the ties between the democratic and
ethnic forces, and shows the way forward to genuine national
reconciliation, restoration of democracy and respect for human rights.

Thank you, Mr Chairman